Saturday Meanderings

Well, can you believe it is December and almost the end of 2022? It appears that this year has blown by so fast for so many. Thanks for stopping by today for another Saturday Meanderings, where we review all the good things that happen this week.

End of the Turkey

With two 14 pound turkeys for Thanksgiving, we have lots of leftovers and bones. From turkey soup to individual frozen meals, all the fixings are now gone so the Thanksgiving chapter is closed. Everything is delicious but there is only so much turkey one can eat!

Annual Chandelier/Silver Cleaning

Every year, I clean our crystal chandeliers and other light fixtures the first week in December. Even though I internally groan over tackling this project, the results are worth it. To see my detailed post about cleaning crystal chandeliers, click here.

Perhaps what I like less than cleaning the chandeliers is polishing silver. But we have a silver tea service that sits out permanently in the dining room that is looking tired and tarnished. Sometimes I use it as a floral centerpiece during the holidays so it’s best if it look bright and shiny.

Now it the time I start missing those years where there is an additional week between Thanksgiving and December 1! There is just not enough time.

Christmas Decorating

We are trying to wrap up all the Christmas decorating by this weekend. So far, the living room, dining room, breakfast room and kitchen are in various stages of completion.

A good part of this week is being devoted to decorating the mantels over the fireplaces. The largest and deepest, is the one in the living room. I don’t know if you recall but my friend, Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate (she was visiting from Florida)did this amazing one back in 2020.

I am trying to do something similar this year but to no avail even though I am trying to channel my inner Chloe! Here’s a sneak peek of what I am creating this year.

Barbara from Mantel and Table created this lovely, elegant one on the sweet fireplace upstairs in my art studio also in 2020. It’s hard to fill the shoes of these talented women and I think they should come back every year and decorate my mantels! Don’t you agree?

New Show for Holiday Decorating

If you are like me and still decorating for Christmas, I just found this show on Netflix~ Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas. Interior designer Benjamin “Mr. Christmas” Bradley works with a trusty team of “elves” to help families transform their homes for the holidays.

Cute stories and some different ideas on how to decorate for the holidays. Three episodes to date.

Leftover Pumpkins

The chickens are happily eating all the pumpkins from the fall decorating and we are saving some of the seeds to grow our own next year. I even save the really attractive stems in case I want to make more fabric pumpkins. Recycling at its best.

Adorable Cheese Ball

If you are having guests for the holidays, look at how adorable this hedgehog cheese ball is from Maureen at Red Cottage Chronicles.

I am picturing an entire charcuterie tray with a forest animal theme! Am looking forward to making this. See Maureen’s recipe here.

Menopausal Middle

Nothing like talking about cheese balls one minute and belly fat the next! As I age, I am getting a bit thicker in the middle. Recently received an email about this course from Daily OM, called The Menopausal Middle Plan.

Here is how the course is described: “With this transformative 14-day course from clinical nutritionist and weight-shedding expert Jacqui Justice, you’ll learn to reverse, decrease, and even eliminate hormonal side effects so you can look and feel your best.”

What I like about Daily OM, you can choose what you want to pay for the course ~ $19, $35, or $55 for all 14 lessons (one every day for 2 weeks). I am thinking about doing this after the first of the year.

Just wanted to check in to see if anyone else is experiencing the menopausal middle and if you have actively done anything about it? If you want to check it out Daily OM, you can find it here.

Do You Like a Flocked Christmas Tree?

Secretly, I have always wanted a flocked Christmas tree. They seem romantic to me with all that faux snow on the branches. My friend, Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms has a very detailed post on flocked trees.

Here is her Table of Contents~wow! Chock-a-block full of information.

You can read all of Stacy’s great insights here.

Well, that’s it for today! Have a wonderful Saturday and weekend and I truly appreciate you stopping by.